Shay Locomotive (Cadillac, Michigan)

United States historic place

Shay Locomotive

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Michigan State Historic Site

Location within the state of Michigan

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Location within the United States

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Location| Cass St., Cadillac, Michigan
Coordinates| 44°14′41″N 85°23′56″W﻿ / ﻿44.24472°N 85.39889°W﻿ / 44.24472; -85.39889
Area| less than one acre
Built| 1898 (1898)
Built by| Lima Locomotive Works
Architect| Ephraim Shay
Architectural style| Shay locomotive #549
NRHP reference No.| 81000321[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP| October 26, 1981
Designated MSHS| August 3, 1979[2]

The Shay Logging Locomotive is a standard gauge Shay locomotive engine located on Cass Street in City Park in Cadillac, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1979[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.[1]

## History[edit]

Historic image of the locomotive in 1904 Shay Locomotive with its historic marker

Ephraim Shay was a logger from Haring, Michigan, near Cadillac.[2] Shay was in the logging industry, and realized that a method of moving logs when the ground was muddy and damp would increase productivity immensely. He experimented with horse-drawn trams with limited success, then hit on the idea of building temporary rail lines. In 1879, Shay invented a type of steam powered locomotive specifically for use in the logging industry. This Shay locomotive was small and powerful, and was geared to operate on tracks with steep grades and articulated to handle sharp curves. Shay patented the locomotive in 1881.[2]

This Shay locomotive was constructed in 1898 by the Lima Locomotive Works[2] for the Boyne City Southeastern Railroad Company.[3] In 1918, it was sold to Michigan Forest Products in Strongs, Michigan, and then, in 1924, to William L. Saunders, President of the Cadillac Lumber & Chemical Company,[4] later called the Cadillac-Soo Lumber Company, for service in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan.[3] It was used there until 1954, when T. Walter Kelly, Mayor of Cadillac and Saunders' son-in-law, obtained it from the Cadillac-Soo Lumber Company and donated the locomotive to the city of Cadillac.[2] It was partially restored in 1964, and further restored in 1985. It now serves as a tourist attraction in Cadillac's City Park.[2]

## Description[edit]

The Shay Logging Locomotive is a Class B steam-powered Shay locomotive designated number 549.[2] It is powered by three 10 inches (250 mm) bore, 12 inches (300 mm) stroke cylinders.[3] It is 35 feet (11 m) in length and weighs 45 tons

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Shay Locomotive". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
3. ^ a b c "Lima Locomotive & Machine Co: Shop Number 549". www.shaylocomotives.com. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
4. ^ "Saunders". ancestry.com.

## Further reading[edit]

* Earl T. Huckle (1984), Cadillac's Shay Locomotive, Titan of the Timber: Historical Preservation Project, Save our Shay Committee
* Earl T. Huckle, "Cadillac Spawned Wood Chemical Industry", Cadillac Evening News, on the occasion of Cadillac's 105th anniversary celebration

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National Register of Historic Places in Wexford County, Michigan

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* Cadillac Public Library
* Charles T. Mitchell House
* Cobbs and Mitchell Building
* Elks Temple Building
* Frank J. Cobbs House
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* Shay Locomotive

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Wexford County, Michigan and List of National Historic Landmarks in Michigan

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